OUR ENDURING SPIRIT!

Today I'm very happy to announce the release of my latest children's picture book, OUR ENDURING SPIRIT (published by Harper Collins)! Using the original text from President Obama's first inaugural address I wanted to create a children's book that could at once communicate the vitality and ideas of that day in pictures to children and act as a historical record and a snapshot of that day to the rest of us. As many of you know the opportunity to do this book came out of a series of drawings to benefit Habitat for Humanity during the weekly drawing series, The 52 Weeks Project. So in a wacky way this is an extension of the spirit of that strange endeavor.

You can find out more by visit Harper Collins at their website:

http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/Kids/BookDetail.aspx?isbn13=9780061834554

To celebrate the release of OUR ENDURING SPIRIT, I'll be issuing a limited edition of autographed books complete with a unique original 9x9" sumi-ink drawing on paper of President Obama for sale up at the Storefront section of my website. If you're interested in having the book personalized, that too is happily arranged. There's only going to be a very small run of these so be sure to snap one up before its gone!

50% of all proceeds raised will this time go to benefit the extraordinary efforts of Doctors Without Borders. Take a look:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31719899

WEBSITE UPDATES!

We have at long last updated the main website here at Gregthings.com, thanks in no small part to the excellence of webmaster, Tara Sinn (http://www.tara-sinn.com/). Included in this new batch of updates are:

-A new devoted section to showcase the 52 Weeks Project, located right on the home page

-A new reordering of the Illustration section, including all new work and the random pieces fromerly occupying the Otherness area.

-A wholly new section featuring the various children's books I've been lucky to have a hand in, located also on the home page- especially highlighting the soon to be released hardcover edition of my illustrating President Barack Obama's first inaugural address to the nation, from Harper Collins.

-An expanded and larger Community message board for readers and artists to display, showcase and discuss each others work, and pretty much whatever else strikes one's fancy.

-A raft of new images throughout the site in general.

-An updated links area, headers and html coding, and the recent Tor.com interview link.

-And maybe my favorite, a brand new original story from the Woodland Chronicles, located exclusively within the map on the devoted minisite. Follow the key....

We've been busy here, but this ain't the all of it. More news coming next week!

For now, drop by and so hello to the various visual confections Gregthings.com: (http://www.gregthing.com/)

SIX WORD TALES!

My good pal from waaaay back in the Texas days has decided to refuel his daily work as a screenwriter by the most excellent dalliance of crafting a series of short six-word stories and having them illustrated by a group of selected artists. it's a great idea and a lot of fun to do- I myself have contributed four images so far, and there are others up now to behold. Check it out:

http://www.sixwordtales.com/

2009 MoCCA ARTFEST!

It is once again time to pronounce the most esteemed show of art shows... The Museum Of Comic and Cartoon Art's annual show in New York this June 6th and 7th (aka the 2009 MoCCA Artfestival!) I will be in attendance again with my good friend Allen Spiegel, and this year we will be likewise accompanied by the excellent Barron Storey and David Mack too. The show is in a new venues at the Armory Building in Manhattan and you can find us all at tables 632, 633, & 634.

I'll have original artwork from Conan, Freaks of the Heartland, The 52 Weeks Project, A Pirate's Guide to First Grade, Edentown and the various cover work from the past year. I'll also be happily displaying original art and a full-color galley of my forthcoming children's book from Harper/Collins "Our Enduring Spirit" in which I illustrate President Obama's first inaugural address- which is due out on the bookstands September 29. So much to see and do at this show- seriously. It's a wonderful mix of some of the most impressive work in publishing today, and I can't wait to see what everyone else is bringing too. Make sure to stop on by and pick up the new card this year, (posted below) featuring Walt and Nate from The Woodland Chronicles and Scholastic/Graphix!


For more information about the show, special events and a full exhibitor's list, please visit their homepage by clicking here:
http://www.moccany.com/artfest09-main.html

Friday, June 5th: 4pm - 8pm
Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art
594 Broadway, Suite 401

Saturday, June 6th: 8:30am
69th Regiment Armory
68 Lexington Avenue

Hope to see you there!

MICROVISIONS 4!

Once again the excellent and noble Irene Gallo and Dan Dos Santos have organized this year's MICROVISIONS 4 show and auction to support the Cociety of Illustrator's Scholarship Fund. The show of the original work is up now at the Society for those of you trapsing about the New York region. The 5x7" original paintings will all be auctioned off starting this saturday evening on the Ebay to provide funding for art students to pursue their endeavors- always a good thing indeed. Last year, Microvisions 3 raised over $4,500.00. Let's see if we can't beat that this year.

I am honored to been asked to participate this year along with the extremely talented following artistes- Welsey Allsbrook, Volkan Baga, Chris Buzelli, Justin Gerard, Luis Royo, Greg Manchess, Paolo Rivera, Francis Vallejo and Michael Whelan.

You can see a larger shot of the wall of glory by clicking here: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/igallo/MicroVisionsEx.jpg

The Auction will start Saturday at 8:30pm and will run for seven days only, ending the following saturday. Interested parties can follow this link here to view the whole selection:

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZsocietyillustratorsQQhtZ-1



Get thee bidding people and help a youngling find his way in this cold cruel world!

OBAMA'S INAUGURAL ILLUSTRATED!

Brenda Bowen and I through HarperCollins/The Bowen Press will be putting together a children's picture book based on the inaugural speech of our 44th president. The idea is to adapt the speech so that we can get second and third graders to better make sense about what the speech promised, and what it all means- we'll include a full transcript of the speech in the rear of the book along with a listing of moments in the first 100 days as well. The idea is to create something that looks beyond celebrating his biography and makes a lasting document of this remarkable time.

The book is due on the shelves October 2009.

Publisher's Weekly just did a quick announcement of the project- VERY exciting stuff. Check it out:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6631511.html?nid=2788

NEW INTERVIEW UP AT TOR.COM!

The most esteemed Irene Gallo has just recently posted an interview we did over at TOR.COM's new website. New questions, answers and bloviating as always from yours truly... as well as some thoughts on the upcoming Freaks of the Heartland movie adaptation. They've posted art to see and even a video to watch- (love that rocketship logo of theirs) check it out:

http://www.tor.com/index.php/creators/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=7241

FREAKS OF THE HEARTLAND... The Movie!

It's true! It seems that Overture Films has taken on Steve's and my midwestern gothic horror, and decided to turn it into a picture film. David Gordon Green will diregct it, which pleases us both quite a bit. Be prepared for something a little different than your typical comics-to-movies effort here. I'll be sure to keep everyone posted as news unfolds and I am made aware of it. For now, however you may behold the actual scoop from the Hollywood Reporter by using the link below:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/
news/e3i9e2284979c0b8c78d778cf353fdf9c6f


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SPECTRA PULSE #2

The newest issue of SPECTRA PULSE is out and low and behold, it's got a cover by yours truly. A bit of a departure for me in many ways, but tremendous fun all around. Go get thee a copy! It's a great magazine with excellent interviews!

You can visit their website by following this here url:
http://www.randomhouse.com/bantamdell/spectra/

and their facebook page by doing likewise:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=5674967431

THE 52 WEEKS PROJECT CONTINUES!

This week marks the second installment of the well received 52 Weeks Project, posted up now at the Storefront section of our fair website. This little experiment has gotten a tremendous response- thanks to everyone for their support. To view the newest installment, please follow the url below:


http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14587682


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